


I’ll take your part / When darkness comes

by StarchildOfParis



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas, MAAS Sarah J. - Works
Genre: Banter, F/M, Flying, Hurt/Comfort, Mating Bond, Post-Battle, Rhys talking about his death, Survivor Guilt, lacy things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-11-23 05:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20887130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarchildOfParis/pseuds/StarchildOfParis
Summary: With the scent of the sea floating in, the lights below, and her mate riding the wind beside her, Feyre was happier than, only days before, she had thought she might ever be again.*Feyre and Rhysand's evening together after returning to Velaris.





	I’ll take your part / When darkness comes

Flying over Velaris was wonderful. With the scent of the sea floating in, the lights below, and her mate riding the wind beside her, Feyre was happier than, only days before, she had thought she might ever be again.

This sense of peace could not, unfortunately, protect her from the chill of the night air, and her little lacy outfit was clearly not doing the job either. With so much of her focus still devoted to flight itself, Feyre had little attention to spare for a shield and, after nearly half an hour in the skies, was finding herself much colder than she wished to be.

_As much as I enjoy flying, and as much as I enjoy these clothes,_ Feyre said through the bond, _they’re not the best combination._

_On the contrary, Feyre darling, I think they are a wonderful combination,_ Rhys purred.

_I’m sure you’re enjoying the view,_ she shot back. _But I am feeling rather cold._

_ I can think of some ways to warm you up._

She stuck her tongue out at him. _If those ways don’t involve our bedroom, indoors, then I think I can warm myself up._

_ Cruel, beautiful thing._

_ Race you back!_

With that, Feyre turned sharply and shot off towards the townhouse. From behind her came a startled laugh, and then the rush of air as Rhys chased after her. Desperately trying to keep ahead of him, Feyre approached the roof at breakneck speed, and she backflapped wildly in an effort to slow down. She succeeded – just enough for Rhys to dart past her and land, seconds before her own feet touched the ground.

“Cheater!” she cried.

“I think you mean ‘excellent flier,’” said Rhys, folding his wings behind him neatly.

Feyre’s only reply was a groan of both exasperation and discomfort as she vanished her own wings.

When Rhys spoke again, his voice had shifted. “Since I’ve proved my flying prowess, I think I deserve a prize.” He prowled towards Feyre, who met his gaze.

“I seem to remember being offered hours of entertainment of my own tonight,” she said, raising an eyebrow.

“Lucky for you, that’s just the reward I had in mind.”

Every so slowly, Rhys closed the gap between them. When he was only inches from Feyre, he reached out and tilted her face towards his, then leaned down to ghost his lips over hers. She slipped her arms over his shoulders to deepen the kiss, but as she pressed her body to his he leaned back with a huff of surprise.

“Cauldron, Feyre, you are cold,” he said before she could protest at the loss of contact.

“Well, if we _keep going,_” she said, shifting her hips back against his firmly and drawing a quiet groan from him, “I’m sure that situation will be remedied quickly.”

Rhys chuckled, and as Feyre pulled him down to kiss her again he surprised her by scooping her up against his chest and pressing a kiss to her temple instead of joining their lips. Grateful for the warmth of his body but at the same time tired of playing, Feyre promptly winnowed them to their bedroom.

Once they materialized, Rhys walked them towards the bed. Just as she had done when she returned from the Spring Court, Feyre prepared herself to be sprawled across the sheets, but Rhys surprised her again. He sat down with her still in his arms and, after she twisted on his lap to face him, finally lowered his face to hers once more. His kisses were slow and reverent, and despite the heat indeed beginning to build in her blood Feyre would have been content for them to worship each other like that forever.

Feyre felt Rhys’s mental talons brush against her shields in request, and she dropped the wall of adamant as his barriers too fell, allowing their minds to meet in an embrace like that of their bodies. As soon as they connected, Feyre’s breath caught at the emotion she sensed from Rhys, and she pulled away to meet his eyes. The violet seemed limned with silver, and as she watched, a tear slipped out. Feyre leaned forward to kiss it away, and Rhys let out a shuddering breath and dropped his head to rest in the crook where her neck met her shoulder.

“I was prepared to die if it meant that you and everyone else could live,” he said against her skin. “It was worth it, and I didn’t stop to consider what it would feel like if I was faced with life again. I couldn’t. And now that we’re here… It feels too perfect. So much land was destroyed, so many soldiers didn’t make it home, so many will never get to see their families again – why do _I_ get to come home? How do I possibly get to come back to you? It can’t be true.”

His words struck Feyre to her core. Her beautiful, selfless, _stupid_ mate who still didn’t believe his worth after all this time, who didn’t think he deserved to give less than everything or have something good of his own. She nudged his head up again, looking him directly in the eye.

“You said you’d prove to me that this is real,” she said. “And I can prove it to you too.”

Feyre took one of Rhys’s hands and pressed it against his chest, right over the strong, reassuring beat of his heart, and placed her own hand on top of it.

“This is real, Rhysand,” Feyre said, quietly and firmly. _Hear me here,_ “and hear me here. I love you with everything that I am. You didn’t hesitate for a second to have me brought back when I was killed, and I didn’t save the entire gods-damned world. You did. Being loved, being home, is the least that you deserve. We went through hell, so if it takes a few reminders that we made it back, so be it, but no one will take one of us from the other ever again. We made a bargain – we go together. But right now, we’re lucky enough to be here with our broken, bleeding, healing, still-functioning hearts, so let’s use them. Let’s _live._”

As Feyre spoke, the silver in Rhys’s eyes gradually coalesced into the stars she loved to see there. When she finished, he pulled her to him tightly, pressing soft kisses to her cheek, her shoulder, and the hollow of her throat, each punctuated with a whispered _thank you_ down the bond.

She guided his mouth towards hers again, and the kisses this time were faster, edged with desire. As Rhys fixed one hand in her hair and one at her waist, Feyre, still in his lap, slid her hands across his chest and down his arms, eventually moving to his shoulders to press him back into the mattress. After only a few moments, however, Rhys flipped them over, planting his feet on the floor as Feyre’s hung off the bed.

“You’ve done a wonderful job providing proof,” Rhys growled, but with a throb of gratefulness down the bond that made Feyre smile even as she shivered at the timbre of his voice. “Now I think it’s my turn.”

“Hours, remember?” said Feyre, slightly breathless as Rhys’ hands ghosted under the edge of her lacy dress and down her stomach.

“We have nowhere to be, darling. As you reminded me, we just saved the world. I think we’re entitled to as much time as we desire in this chamber with no one coming to bother us.”

Feyre pulled Rhys’ face back up to hers and kissed him again, as deeply as she could.

_I love you, Rhys. I love you, I love you, I love you._

“I love you too, darling,” he said as he pulled back from the kiss and began to slide down her torso. “I don’t think I could ever show you just how much – ” he grinned up from between her legs – “but I have hours to try.”

***

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel, which I do not own, nor do I own ACoTaR or SJM's wonderful characters. I absolutely love Feyre and Rhys and I am definitely hoping to write them more, so comments and feedback appreciated! All mistakes are my own.


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